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McDonalds Has Websites Just For Blacks And Asians?!
Published on: August 25, 2009 – 11:37 am by Jillian Madison 
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I’M EXPLOITIN’ IT!
“Like the unique African Baobab tree, which nourishes its community with its leaves and fruit, McDonald’s has branched out to the African-American community nourishing it with valuable programs and opportunities.”
No, that corny text isn’t from the inside of a Hallmark card. It’s featured on 365Black, a McDonalds website that was built just for the African American community. The site (which has apparently been around for awhile) boasts that McDonalds is “deeply rooted in the community!” Really? How is that? Because they filled a website with stock photos of black graduates and finally gave R&B singer Keith Sweat a forum to proclaim his love for Chicken McNuggets?
McDonalds also has a website specifically for Asians, the oh-so cleverly titled MyInspirAsian. The contrast between the two sites is so insulting that it’s almost comical. On MyInspirAsian (which was originally titled I-Am-Asian.com), McDonalds is trying to sell coffee by putting their logo on a bald old Asian guy’s head. You know, because Asians know math and think a lot.
The downside? We found the sites to be pandering and insulting, but what do we know. We’re white.
The upside? We learned how to say “Let’s go do some karaoke” in Cantonese.
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I understand if McDonald’s as a company donate proceeds to help communities around the US but to call out a specific race is really strange and unnecessary. Seriously what is the purpose? Aren’t we all created equal? We should be.
Maybe they could hire McCargo to make some McSloppy Joes using filet mignon ? Or hire Gina Neely to introduce the world to McBBQ Spaghetti ?
I sent the Asian website when your twitter posted the black Micky D’s website. Giggle, new reader just tryin to help out. <3
I wonder what the reactions would be if Micky D’s had a website soley for white folk? I don’t like this separation by race as it sustains the racial divide. Shame on you MD for putting your corporate profits ahead of ‘all men are created equal’.
It’s called marketing, not segregation.
No matter what lable you put on it, it’s still offensive- and I’m black.
OMG. This reminds me of McDonald’s woeful “I’d hit it” marketing campaign. (See: http://www.andrewteman.org/blog/index.php?p=39). They need a better urban trend consultant or something.
Btw, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating diversity. Identifying our diversity through…McDonald’s… is quite another thing. I mean, come on!
I appreciate the art of targeting audiences; but a campaign like this one draws out steriotypes that I would find offensive if I were to fit in the categories.
Making “assumptions” can help to an extent; but this is just another chance to hit “ignore!”
My 2 cents
PS> Food Network? I can’t find references to this on the sites? LOL jk
I don’t disagree it’s offensive, but some marketing whiz working for McD’s must have thought it a good idea. It reminds me of the Billy Dee Williams malt liquor ads that many people found so offensive. Negative stereotypes abound.
And here I thought we were living in the 21st century. Thanks for the correction, McD’s!
(Hey, guys–should I let McD’s know I’m offended that they don’t seem to have a site for us American Injuns? They could call the site “Better Red than Dead”! Oh, I’m mclovin’ THAT idea.)
Where’s the one for white folks? wth is wrong with this world???
365Black. Because when you’re black, you’re black all the time. Not like whites who are only white 65% of the time, Asians who are Asian 12% of the time, and Native Americans who are Native Americans just 1% of the time. Koreans are also in the 365 group as evidenced by their spokescaterer, Debbie Lee. As Debbie says, “I’m Korean!”
You can just smell the kimchi running through her Korean veins.
I thought everybody liked McCrap. No need to get race specific about it.
@ Kana – pretty much agree. I don’t see a White Entertainment Television channel (WET? ala BET style…) and I don’t see a white people Mcdonalds website. Oh, is that the main site then? I don’t understand the point in separating websites by race for a fast food establishment…
BTW I thought you were JOKING when you said that Keith Sweat loves chicken nuggets. Then I saw the screenie and thought you had typed it up. But no, it’s real. Inexplicably, mind numbingly, tackily real.
Princess! Debbie is Korean?
Hey why are the sites directed at minorities focused so much on college? Are they implying something??
Annyong, Byrdie! (Thank God for Arrested Development, eh?) I do believe she mentioned it once or twice.
@ Jennie:
I think that’s because almost every channel is like WET. Am I right? Most channels cater to White interests since they are the majority in America, and thus are the target audience.
I’m white… and it kind of bugs me when people say “wahhh, why can’t we say ‘WHITE PRIDE’ and have all white colleges??”
But, my views aside, these websites are extremely stupid. There is no need to target any specific race here. Just make one website for everyone, McDonalds. Even though your food is horrendous, I’m sure people from every-race eat there.
“Let’s go do some karaoke” is actually said in Korean on that website.
Oh, I wonder if they’ll have a website for the LGBT scene soon. Chicken-Which-Was-Once-Cow Big Macs, Salad-With-More-Salad-Salads, Have-It-Both-Ways-Chicken-And-Beef-Sandwich.
I think its a pretty fierce idea.
It says “Food Network Humor” at the bottom of the screen shot. I’m assuming the sites aren’t actually associated with the McDonald’s corporation. Besides that would be awful marketing and McDonald’s has enough money to hire someone competent.
Sara, I put that FoodNetworkHumor watermark at the bottom of those screencaps, because I took them… and because people steal photos on the internet and this is the source.
Those are REAL websites run by McDonalds. We have no association with them. The links are provided in the article as well, so feel free to click through and investigate yourself.
Oooh! I loves to makes fun of Mick-don-oads! Those sites are way tacky, why can’t they depend on just the strength of their name and brand to cross continents like they’ve done for years instead of singling out certain races. What’s wrong with one site design that translates into all languages. C’mon it’s just fast food people. And not very good food at that. I was at a ballgame the other night and the electronic banner had the golden arches in front of the phrase, “I’m lovin’ it” It looked ridiculous and ended up reading M’im lovin’ it. For the entire inning (which dragged on forever), all we did was repeat mim lovin it.
How weird. I’m confused and don’t know what to think of it all (other than get a bit depressed).
I guess the moral/ethical code for individuals is not the same for corporations?
I live in a city where we have a large black population. There are quite a few McDonald’s located here, and have been for longer than the website in question has been around. I seriously doubt that the black community was feeling that McDonald’s was neglecting them as a race, as patrons. Seriously McDonald’s? Seriously? What’s next? Oh! I know, let’s start a whole McD’s page for the Latin populations (I’m sure the chipotle protions of their menu will be GREAT big hits there!), and why not the Amish, or the Mennonites…though they wouldn’t be able to do the advertising for that on the web, it would have to be via mail, or better yet, door to door. How about Indians? They could do the ads Bollywood style! Yeah! Put some curry on those nuggets and market it to the Indians! How about Native Americans? What has McD’ done for the Native Americans? Hmm?
Just outright ridiculous. People will eat the slop if they want to, not because McD’s pandered to their race, culture, religion, gender, or patriotism.
Wait a minute! What about the Hispanics? Where is the love, McD’s?
Hey, wait a sec, what about us Austrians?
Where is my McRib with sauerkraut?
LOL!
(By the way, I don’t care where you came from, who or what you are, I want to eat with you!)
Off topic, but I’m impressed that you said it was ‘titled’ not ‘entitled’ MyInspirAsian (huge pet peeve of mine). I am a writer/grammar geek and appreciate your writing ability. This site is hysterical – thank you!
I think this just doesn’t help to the discrimination issue we have i mean, it’s suppossed that we all are equal so what was the REAL reason behind this website?
Will Mc Donalds start seating black people apart from asian or hispanics?
This and the 50% of macdonalds merchandising campaign are unnecesary.
And macdonalds should get over itself and stop pretending they are more that what they really are: a fast food chain that sells unhealthy and greasy food, (and yes sometimes i enjoy a big mac) THEY’RE NOT ANY CULTURAL REFERENCE nor a restaurant where you can eat everyday without gaining pounds.
It all boils down to pandering for money. I’m sure the corporate folk at McD’s could give a rats ass about black, white, red, or yellow skin. They just see green.
McDonald’s claims to nourish people?! In any form?! Baloney!
@DKM Marlink,
I know you were going for sarcasm, but Mickey’s D’s continues to spread cultural stereotypes throughout THE WORLD! No one wants that crap to spread.
@Ann I Ball
That WAS pretty much the whole point of my snarky comment. ;)
Kudos for McD for identifying and supporting both communites for a number of years. To see a food comglomate “out” itself to the public media is a good thing. No matter how you slice it, all advertisement (e.g., Tele, Radio, Magazine, websites, billboards, etc) visually cater to Caucasians. Don’t think so? Walk down the aisle in the supermarket where the magazines are and count the number of magazines with faces of people of color. Still don’t think so? Turn on your TV and flip through the channels and count the number of people of color on sitcoms, reality shows, movies. At least 97% are…yes you got it; while 3% are people of color. So, please, applaud those entities that give face and voice to others. Don’t attack. But hey, what can you say, even this site is Caucasoid.
Good post. 365Black is ridiculous. I think this is one of those things that we’re all going to look back on and say “I can’t believe they thought like that!”
I just wrote something up about it as well.
http://doodiepants.com/2009/08/25/mcdonalds-website-just-for-people-with-darker-skin-365black-com/
As an Asian, I actually did find the myinspirasian site pretty obnoxious and insulting. The title pissed me off and the “Shock your friends with NEW Asian phrases!” This site seems like it would cater more to your token weeaboo, otherwise it’s as insulting as someone putting on a fake Asian accent behind you for 15 mins.
After thinking about this for a few days, I guess what makes me the most uncomfortable about this McDonald’s site is remembering a story I saw on TV about the fact that fast food places and convenience stores outnumber actual grocery stores in most urban neighborhoods. The story was about a woman in Chicago who was alarmed about this fact and started an urban farm to grow and raise fresh produce. I know this is a humor site, and I apologize for being a Debbie Downer here, but when I see this McDonald’s site, to me, it represents contributing to bad eating habits and bad health habits among certain communities. I guess if I had to see a site geared towards one group of people, I would rather it be for a grocery store chain where people can get fresh meat and produce and dairy and contributing to eating real food rather than promoting junk food and processed food.
All that aside, I find both the sites mentioned to be more condescension towards other ethnic groups by white people. And I say this as a white person.
Again, sorry to be Debbie Downer. Back to your regularly scheduled snark. :)
Have no fear, I’m here to cut the debbie downer with some horrible racial jokes.
First draft of MyInspirAsian: *sigh at title* Confucius say you will feel better if you go to website promoting unhealthy food and drawing on old people’s head.
awww Kyle you wanna eat with me no matter the race?! your so sweet! :-D (sighs happily) i love nice guys!
jbf,
ummm not to burst your bubble, but uh if your a grammer geek whats jbf mean? Just asking. Dont hate…im too fragile. :-{ (sniffle) and to you young men hi love ya. :-* xoxo
where’s the version of this for white people? didn’t think so.
You know, you want my McD’s baby, got me twisted over you…
I haven’t read all the comments but I really had to post that.
OMG.
As a marketer myself (12 years in the business plus two degrees) I cannot imagine who thought this was a good idea.
But I thought about it some more and all I could come up with was that at some point in it’s history McD’s got sued for racial/ethnic discrimination and as part of the settlement, the corporation was ordered to do “outreach” the the communities affected by the discrimination and THIS is the “outreach” they came up with.
It may sound crazy but I’ve seen things like this in the past. It’s kind of a “the cure is worse” thing though if that is really the case.